Thread cleaning device



Sept. 29, 1936- A. G. OSBORNE ET AL 2,055,631

THREAD CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. 23, 1955 INVENTORS Cmmr (34km ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE THREAD CLEANING DEVICE Albert G. Osborne, Paterson, and Bertrand H. H. Noble, Glen Rock, N. J.

Application August 23, 1935, Serial No. 37,460

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thread cleaning devices, the principal object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character by means of which the entire surface of the thread will be cleaned in a single operation.

In the textile art, it is common practice, as a preliminary to the weaving and knitting of threads into fabrics, to subject the individual threads to a cleaning operation in order to remove enlargements caused by foreign matter and thereby render the threads uniform in diameter so as to avoid imperfections in the finished fabric. This cleaning is usually done by running the thread through a slot formed in a metal plate. A disadvantage of this type of cleaner is that the thread is cleaned only on two opposite sides and consequently after passing through the cleaner is more or less fiat in cross-section. We are aware that attempts have been made to overcome this disadvantage, but such attempts have resulted only in greatly complicating the structure of the cleaning device. By means of the present invention, not only is the disadvantage above referred to completely overcome and the entire surface of the thread cleaned, but the simplicity of construction of the device is maintained.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing accompanying this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the cooperating thread-cleaning members.

The device as illustrated herein embodies a base member or block I provided at its underside with a recess of inverted V-shape for engagement with the traverse rail (not shown) of the usual Winding or other machine. It will be understood that in the usual type of winding machines with which the device is intended to operate, a number of threads are spooled at one time, thus necessitating employment of a corresponding number of cleaning devices, all of which are secured on the traverse rail of the machine.

An arm 2 of L-shape in cross-section extends at right angles from one side of the block I and is provided at its free end with an opening into which is threaded the stem of one of the usual porcelain thread guides 3, a similar thread guide 4 being similarly mounted in the block I in alinement with the guide 3.

The cleaning device proper is disposed in the angle formed between the block I and the arm 2, and comprises a member bent upon itself to form a loop portion 5 and a pair of legs 5 in parallel relation to each other. The member 5, 5 is preferably made of cold rolled steel case hardened throughout, and is secured to the vertical web of the arm 2 by means of screws 6, one of which is shown in Figure 2. The elasticity of the cleaning member is such that the legs 5 tend to separate slightly for a purpose hereinafter described, means being provided for normally maintaining the opposing faces of the legs in abutting relation for a portion of their length. Such means in the present instance comprises a screw 1 which passes freely through one of the legs 5 and is threaded at one end into the other leg. The screw is provided at its opposite end with an operating lever 8 secured against rotation on the screw and retained in position by a pair of nuts 9 and ID. A second lever ll carries a hub l2 which is threaded on the screw 1, a washer I 3 being disposed freely mounted on the screw between said hub l2 and the free leg 5 of the cleaner. The levers 8 and H are bent along a diagonal line so as to form opposing handle portions 8 and H lying in the same horizontal plane for convenience in operation as hereinafter described. A coil spring I4 encircles the screw 1 between the nut Ill and the hub l2 and normally exerts its tension on said hub thereby to resist the tendency of the legs 5 of the cleaning member to spring apart, the opposite ends of said spring being anchored respectively in the handle portions 8 and I l of the levers 8 and II.

A thread guide comprising a plate [5 is secured by screws "5 to one of the legs 5 and is provided with side walls l5 which overlap the edges of both legs for a portion of their length and thus cover the line where the opposing faces of the legs come together. The openings in the plate l5 through which the screws l 6 pass are in the form of slots, as indicated in Figure 2, to permit a certain amount of vertical adjustment of the guide. At their free ends the legs 5 are provided with flanges I1 bent away from each other to form what may be termed a thread hopper for directing that portion of the thread l8 between the porcelain guides 3 and 4 into the opening between the legs. The said flanges may be formed integral with the legs or secured thereto in any suitable manner.

To ensure the proper cleaning of the thread, the opposing faces of the legs 5* are maintained in abutting relation when in operation, and each leg is provided in its abutting surface with a series of semi-circular grooves l9, the grooves in the abutting faces thus forming cylindrical openings for the passage of threads. These openings are of sufliciently small diameter, (usually .004 inch) to ensure eflicient cleaning of the thread, it being understood, of course, that the diameter of the openings will depend upon the size of the thread to be cleaned. In Figure 3 the diameters are shown greatly exaggerated, for clarity of illustration.

In operation, the block I is securedionthe traverse rail of the usual winding machine. thread I8, as it passes from one spool to the other is guided through the porcelain guides 3 and 4-; The portion of the thread between the guides thus falls between the flanges l l of the cleaning member; The operator then grasps the handles 8 and II between his thumb" and forefinger and squeezes the handle ll toward handle 8?-,thus rotating the nutthub I2 an'd 'causing it to recede from the legs of the cleaning member, against the'tension of the spring M. This permits the legs to separate under their own tension sufficiently to permit the thread to pass between them intoone' of the cleaning openings; whereupon the handlest and H are released and the tension of spring: I-4- will reverse the direction of rotation of the'nut-hub I2 and cause it to force the legs back into abutting relation, thereby locking the thread in' the cleaning opening.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that in the device herein described we have provided a thread cleanerin which a-pair of cleaning members co'operate'to form' between them an opening of such configuration as to engage the entire surface of the thread passing therethrough, and which opening is normally inaccessible radially thereof, so that the thread cannot leave the opening during the cleaning operation nor can a thread be placed in'position' to be cleaned without first" moving one of the cleaning members relatively totheother thereby to render the opening radially accessible.

While we have described in detail the embodim'ents of the invention herein disclosed, it is to be understood that we do not thereby limit our invention to the 'pre'cise features of construction shown in the drawing, as-we are aware that many mechanical changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth inthe claims hereto appended.

Having thus described ourinvention, what we claim is:

1. Athread-cleaning device comprising in combination, a base member, a cleaning member secured to saidbaseand' having a pair of integral legs disposed in abutting relation and forming between them aradially closed thread-cleaning opening, extending transversely of the legs, one of said legs being automatically movable away The from the other thereby to permit radial access to said opening, and tension means normally maintaining the legs in abutting relation against the action of said movable leg.

2. A thread-cleaning device comprising in combination, a base member, a resilient cleaning member secured to said base and having a pair of parallel legs separable under the resiliency of said member, said legs having in their opposing faces channels cooperating when the legs are in abutting relation to form a radially closed cylindrical opening, and means normally operative to maintain the legs in abutting relation against the separating action of the resilient member.

3. Athread-cleaning device comprising in combination,.. a base member, a resilient cleaning member secured to said base and having a pair of parallel legs separable under the resiliency of said member, said legs having in their opposing faces channels cooperating when the legs are in abutting relation to form' a radially closed cylindrical opening, a member normally'exerting tension on said legs thereby to maintain them in abutting relation and means for: retracting said tension exerting member thereby to permit separation of the legs under the resilience of the cleaning member.

4. A thread-cleaning device comprising in combination, a base member, a pair of cleaning members mounted on saidbase and" having parallel opposing faces provided with channels cooperating to form a cleaning opening normally inaccessible radially thereof, one of said cleaning members being'resiliently movable to maintain its op-. posing face out of engagement with the face of its companionmember thereby to afford radial access to said opening, and means for normally maintaining said faces in abutting relation.

5. A thread-cleaning device comprising in combination, a'base member, a pair of cleaning members mounted on said base and having parallel opposing faces provided with channels cooperating to form acleaning opening normally inaccessible radially thereofione of said cleaning members being resiliently movable to maintain its opposing face out of engagement with the face of its companion member thereby to afford radial access to said opening, tension means normally maintaining said faces in abutting relation against the action of said resilient movement, and manually operable means for rendering said tension means ineifective.

6? A thread-cleaning device comprising a base member, a resilient cleaning member secured to said base and bent upon itself to provide a pair of parallel legs-having in their opposing faces trans versely extending channels cooperating to form a radially closed thread-cleaning opening, tension means normally retaining said legs in abutting relation, and means for rendering said tension means ineffective thereby tocause separation of the legs under their own resiliency and afford radial access to said opening.

ALBERT G. OSBORNE. BERTRAND H. H. NOBLE. 

